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CHENNAI’S No.1 ENGLISH EVENING DAILY SINCE 1982CHENNAI � SUNDAY 3.2.2019 (EVENING) � OTHER STATIONS MONDAY 4.2.2019 (MORNING)

VOL. XXXVII NO. 59 � 8 PAGES � Rs. 4.00 ���Regd. No., TN/CC(S)DN/223/ 18-20, RNI No: 33810 / 82 Licensed to post without prepayment under WPP. No. TN / PMG / (CCR) / WPP-470 / 18-20

MODI CONDOLESPrime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the death

of people in the train accident in Bihar today. Seven passengers died and 29 others were injured early Sunday when a rail fracture caused 11 bogies of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express to jump the tracks in Bihar’s Vaishali district. ‘Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the derailment of coaches of the Seemanchal Express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly,’ the PM tweeted. He said, Railways, NDRF, and local authorities are providing all possible assistance in the wake of the accident.

26/11 case: Court issues NBW against Pak Army offi cials

Mumbai, Feb 3:

A sessions court here has issued non-bailable warrants against two Pakistan Army offi cials - Major Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal - in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case.

While Major Pasha has retired, the prosecution believes Major Iqbal is still serving as an ISI of-fi cial in Pakistan, as disclosed by US born Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist David Coleman Headley, an approver in the case here. Both Major Iqbal and Major Pasha are shown as wanted accused in the charge sheet fi led by the city police’s crime branch in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge S V Yarlagadda on January 21 allowed an application filed by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. The application was fi led before the court which is presently conducting trial against alleged LeT operative Sayyed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case.Nikam said in the application that the role of the two Pakistani Army officials was revealed further during the testimony of Headley on the conspiracy hatched in the case. Headley, who is presently lodged in a US jail, turned approv-er in the case and his testimony was recorded via video conference in 2016.

BJP to seek people’s suggestions

for manifestoNew Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI):

BJP president Amit Shah and senior party leader Rajnath Singh today launched ‘Bharat ke mann ki baat, Modi ke saath’, a month-long exercise to seek suggestions from 10 crore people across the country to help the party prepare its ‘sankalp patra’ (manifesto).

Shah said the exercise is aimed at democratising the process of preparing manifesto and that this ‘unique experiment’ will strengthen democracy.

‘What kind of country people want and what is their suggestion to achieve this; this exercise will reach out to them to seek their views,’ Shah told reporters at an event here, adding that it will help the party realise the dream of a New India.

The party chose a waiter of the hotel, where the programme was held, to offer the fi rst suggestion.

Over 300 vehicles will move across the country and over 7,700 boxes will be carried across 4000 assem-blies to seek people’s views, he said, adding social media and telephonic communication will also be used for this.

Rajnath Singh, who is also the head of the party’s ‘sankalp patra’ committee, said never before such a massive exercise to prepare a par-ty’s manifesto has been launched in a country.

LS Polls: Action begins in AIADMK tomorrow

� To receive applications from ticket seekers for 40 constituencies

| NT Bureau |Chennai, Feb 3:

With just a few months left for general elections, the ruling AI-ADMK will start receiving nomi-nations from the aspirants who wish to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha polls from tomorrow for all the Parliamentary constituencies in the state and neighbouring Puducherry Union Territory.

A week after setting in motion its election work by forming pan-els to negotiate with prospective allies on seat sharing and drafting party manifesto, the AIADMK has decided to invite application from the aspirants for 39 LS seats in Tamilnadu and lone Puducherry seat as well from tomerrow.

The decision to invite applica-tion for all the seats has raised questions over the speculation of its alliance with the BJP. Sources in AIADMK said that a section of senior leaders in the party was not in favour of a pre-poll alliance

with the BJP as it might backfi re.Elections are expected to be an-

nounced soon as Modi government has completed nearly fi ve years term at offi ce. Political parties have already started unoffi cial rounds of talks for an alliance in the State. The main opposition party DMK has already confi rmed that it will contest in the upcom-ing General Elections in alli-ance with the Congress. Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Vidutha-lai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) lead by Thol Thirumavalavan have though not yet offi cially

announced their alliance, but are seen inching close towards DMK.

The AIADMK has already an-nounced three committees - for sheat sharing, manifesto prepara-tion and election campaigning.

Deputy coordinators KP Mu-nusamy and R Vaithhilingam, Ministers P Thangamani, SP Velumani and organisational secretary JCD Prabakar have been named members of the seat-sharing committee.

Former Ministers C Ponnaiyan, Natham R Viswanathan, minis-ters D Jayakumar, CV Shanmu-

gam, organisational secretaries S Semmalai, PH Manoj Pandiyan and former Rajya Sabha Member Rabi Bernard are announced as Members of the Election Mani-festo preparation Committee.

A seven-member committee helmed by Lok Sabha deputy speaker Thambidurai has been named as coordinators for the campaigners for the party’s candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. The committee includes minister Dindigul Sreenivasan, KA Sengottaiyan, former min-isters B Valarmathi, S Gokula Indira, Vaigai Selvan and parlia-mentary AIADMK party leader P Venugopal.

However, one notable exclu-sion from these panels is MP V Maitreyan, and one who repre-sented the Panneerselvam group when the Election Commission in 2017 held deliberations on the issue of freezing the symbol of two leaves and allotting it to the uni-fi ed party.

Political parties have

already started unoffi cial

rounds of talks for an

alliance to face Lok

Sabha polls

7 killed in Bihar rail mishap

� Agitated crowd pelts stones at rescue teamsSonpur, Feb 3 (PTI):

At least seven passengers died and 29 others were injured this morning when a rail fracture caused 11 bogies of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express to jump the tracks in Bihar’s Vaishali district, railway and police offi cials said.

The 12487 Jogbani-Anand Vihar Seemanchal Express originated from Jogbani in Kishanganj district and the accident took place around 4 am. Prima facie, the derailment was caused by a rail fracture, they said. Chief Public Relations Offi cer, East Central Zone, Rajesh Kumar, said the accident took place at Sahadai Buzurg, close to Mahanar Road in the Sonepur division. One general coach, one AC coach B3, three sleeper coaches - S8, S9, S10 and six more coaches have derailed, he said.

Principal Secretary, Disaster Management Department, Pratyay Amrit said seven people have died

in the accident. Six of the deceased have been identifi ed as Ilcha Devi (66), Indira Devi (60), Shamsuddin Alam (26), Ansar Alam (19), Shaida Khatoon (40), Sudarshan Das (60), the Government Railway Police (GRP) said. Of the 29 people injured in the accident, two have suffered grievous injuries, while 27 have received “simple injuries”, the GRP said. The injured were rushed to a hospital here, where the doctors referred the seriously wounded to Muzaffarpur and Patna. The offi ce

of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia each to kin of those killed, Rs 1 lakh each to the grievously injured peo-ple and Rs 50,000 each to those who received simple injuries. “Rescue operations are in full swing and an accident relief train has been sent to the site of the mishap. A team of the NDRF has also reached the spot,” Kumar said. Commissioner Railway Safety (Eastern Zone), Latif Khan, will conduct an inquiry into the accident, he said.

|NT Bureau|Chennai, Feb 3:

All efforts will be taken to strengthen Congress in Tamilnadu, said the newly-appointed TNCC president K S Alagiri.

Addressing mediaperons here today, Alagiri, who replaced S Thirunavukarasar as party chief, said, ‘My prime duty is to reach out to youngsters of the State and enlighten them about the policies and principles of the Congress. We will fi ght Lok Sabha elections with DMK and ensure a thumping victory for our alliance’.

DMK chief M K Stalin shares an excellent rapport with our president Rahul Gandhi. He was the fi rst to propose Rahul as the Prime Ministerial candidate. We are indebted to him, added Alagiri.

People are suffering under Modi’s governance at the Centre and AI-ADMK rule in the State, Alagiri said and added, ‘Infl ation is on a high. Demonetisation has affected people a lot. The nation has gone back in terms of development’.

Congress will strive for peace and harmony in the society. We are not

against any religion but against clash in the name of religion, Alagiri stated.

Asked why Thirunavukarasar was removed from the post of TNCC president, Alagiri, said, ‘He did an excel-lent job for two years. Toured the State extensively and strengthened the party. He will be given due respect in the Congress’.

Will strengthen Cong in TN: Alagiri

Wellington, Feb 3:

Chasing 253 for victory, New Zealand man-aged 78 for 3 in 20 overs (at the time of print) against Indian in the fi fth and fi nal ODI here.

Skipper Williamson and Tom Latham were at the crease. Earlier, the Indian top-order strug-gled again in testing conditions before Ambati Rayudu and Hardik Pandya powered the visi-tors to a fi ghting 252.

India’s middle-order, which has been under scrutiny, delivered under pressure after the visitors were left gasping at 18 for four. Ray-udu (90 off 113) and Vijay Shankar (45 off 64) shared a 98-run stand for the fi fth wicket to lead India’s recovery before a spectacular cameo from Hardik Pandya (45 off 22) pushed India past 250. Pacer Matt Henry was the standout bowler for the hosts, taking four wickets for 35 runs while Trent Boult picked up three for 39. After a ‘humiliating’ loss in the fourth ODI in which India were shot out for 92, captain Rohit

Sharma won the toss and took the challenge of batting fi rst on a surface aiding the fast bowlers. India made three changes in the playing eleven. A fi t again Mahendra Singh Dhoni was back in the team in place of Dinesh Karthik while Mo-hammad Shami and Shankar replaced Khaleel Ahmed and Kuldeep Yadav.

The chinaman bowler was rested from the game. The ball swung at the Westpac Stadium,

like it did at Hamilton, and troubled the Indian batsmen including the experienced opening pair of Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan. Boult, who took fi ve wickets on Thursday, and Henry swung the ball at express pace and shared two wickets each to leave India reeling at 18 for four in seven overs. At that stage, another sub-100 total from India looked very much a possibility. It was a combination of top-class fast bowling and ques-tionable shot selection that led to the top-order failure. Rohit (2) was outdone by a beauty from Henry, the one that moved away from the mid-dle stump line to dislodge the off-stump. Dhoni (1), playing after the missing the last two games due to injury, was bowled by Boult, a peach of a delivery that swung back sharp and late to take the Indian wicketkeeper’s off-stump.

On the other hand, Shikhar Dhawan slashed one hard to be caught at third man while the young Shubman Gill, getting his second game of the series, scooped a simple catch to the cover fi elder.

Rayudu, Pandya help India consolidate

� Top order collapses again � Vijay Shankar impresses

As part of the anti-plastic drive, Corporation staff today conducted checks at shops in and around Koyambedu.Photos: B ANAND

SAY NO TO PLASTIC

RayuduRayudu

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswmai, Deputy Chief Minister O Pannerselvam and senior Ministers paying fl oral tributes at Anna Memorial on the occasion of his death anniversary in Chennai today.

K S Alagiri